Men's rugby earned its first win in the Mid-South Conference 40-15 over Davenport University Saturday night at Student Center Field in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Captain Marnus Spangenberg scored two tries and fly-half Rhys Smith added 15 points from his boot in the kicking game.

How it Happened
After traveling to New York and falling to Army last week, the Lions returned to the road to face the Panthers.  Both teams were looking for a bounce back game after falling to top ranked teams the week before.
 
Lindenwood struck first with a big score from inside center Kyle Liebenberg. He took a hard crashing line and broke through the Davenport backing to take an early 7-0 lead.  The Lions struck again when Stephen Alberts received a well-time offload and outran the Panther defense for a 14-0 advantage after 15 minutes.
 
Davenport responded with a perfectly timed charge down and block of a Lindenwood clearing kick.  The Panthers recovered the ball beyond their try line for their first score and a 14-5 deficit.  The two teams traded penalty kicks and Davenport added another try to pull within five points at 20-15 heading to the break. 
 
The second half started with another penalty kick from Rhys Smith and then a quick try from Marnus Spangenberg.  With momentum starting to shift, the Lions went to their bench early in the half to find spark plays from Kayleb O'Donoghue, Clarence Ekoume-Bienes, and Beorn Graham. All three forwards brought a physical presence not only in loose play but most noticeably in the scrum.
 
After a yellow card shortened the Lions squad to 14 on the pitch, the Panthers, in an attempt to make up ground, chose for a scrum deep in Lindenwood territory. With a massive push from the traveling squad, the hosts retreated backwards, Lindenwood created a quick turnover and found wing Preston Hammerschmidt in the corner to make the score 40-15 where it remained until the final whistle.
 
Player/Coach Thoughts
Liam Smith: "The first 20 minutes of dominating physicality and set piece allowed us some great momentum in the first half, leading to two quick tries. However, we brought Davenport back into the game with some silly mistakes and penalties, which halted our momentum finishing the first half. After using halftime to identify what we needed to improve, we came out firing and brought the pressure back onto Davenport's gain line. With our fast pace, constant pressure and unreal set piece, we knew we had the game in the bag."
 
Gabriel Kettering: "I take the most pride in how we attacked the gain line on both attack and defense. As a whole, our entire team was aggressive going into contact and wanted to hit. It was a great improvement from the week before and would've resulted in a more one-sided score if it wasn't for little mistakes leading to penalties."
 
Head Coach Josh Macy:  "We're clearly still figuring out our team, but I'd much rather do that while winning than losing. I was proud of how our older players created an air of accountability in training this week as we reeled from a loss. Their commitment showed under the lights tonight."
 
What's Next
With the win, the Lions wrap up the fall campaign with an overall record of 15-1.  They return to the pitch February 5 when they travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas to face Arkansas State University at Curt Huckaby Field. 
 
Lindenwood vs. Davenport Box Score
3' Lindenwood try Kyle Liebenberg (Conv. Rhys Smith) 7-0
14' Lindenwood try Stephen Alberts (Conv. Rhys Smith) 14-0
20' Davenport try. 14-5
24' Lindenwood penalty kick Rhys Smith 17-5
28' Davenport try 17-10
33' Davenport Penalty kick 17-15
40' Lindenwood Penalty kick Rhys Smith 20-15
44' Lindenwood Penalty kick Rhys Smith 23-15
47' Lindenwood try Marnus Spangenberg 28-7
56' Lindenwood try Marnus Spangenberg (Conv. Rhys Smith) 35-15
76' Lindenwood try Preston Hammerschmidt  40-15

Lineup vs. Davenport
1. Gabriel Kettering - Beorn Graham 50'
2. Runako Brynard - Kayleb O'Donoghue 50'
3. Liam Smith - Blake Knight 63'
4. Marnus Spangenberg 
5. William Whiteside - Alejandro Martinez Tapia 61'
6. Stefan Terblanche - Clarence Ekoume-Bienes 50'
7. Cian Darling
8. Neal Moylett - Gabriel Wai 65'
9. Evan Conlon - Alejo Gallego Boniello 63'
10. Rhys Smith
11. Nick Hardrict, II
12. Kyle Liebenberg 
13. Stephen Alberts
14. Preston Hammerschmidt 
15. Shiven Dukhande - Siaosi Nauer 15'